The Blood that Binds Us
by Ocecat007
Summary: I, the Great Mother Goddess, agree to these terms. So more it be. With those final words, the girls' arms flew apart; the purple fire stopped. All of their cuts were healed, leaving only a long silver scar.
1. Purple Fire

**Hello, it's me! This happens to be the first fanfiction that I have gotten farther than one page on. I dunno where it's going, but I like it so far! So read on!**

**Oh, yeah...I don't own Tortall, or Corus, (the lovely Tamora Pierce does) but I do (kinda)own the characters I have introduced, which would be Katherine, Alana, Kathleen, Anastasia, Leo, Dusty, Hazel, Jael, King, Naomi, and Troy...I think that's all of 'em.**

_Four young girls sat in a circle under a leafy oak tree in the Palace Forest in Corus. It was midday of the first day of September. None said anything; they simply sat in silence, holding each others' hands. __One looked up, smiling weakly. The others followed suit, still not saying anything. The reason that they were gathered here was to say their farewells. They had known each other for as long as they could remember, all of them living in Corus. But Fate wasn't going to act kindly. One girl was to start her training as a Shang warrior ****_(A/N: when do they go to start their Shang training? I couldn't find that...but I didn't look really hard, either)_, and she had to leave with the Shang Wolf that day. One was returning to her families's fief, located near the Scanran border at the north, after staying with her aunt and uncle for seven years. One's father had died a year earlier, and she was moving in with her mother's new husband. One was staying in Corus with her family, who lived not far away, and would begin training as a page in two years._

_"Let us make a pact," one said, looking at the others' curios faces. "We must swear to meet in Corus, right here, in ten years' time, on this very day, at this very time."_

_"So...when we will all be eighteen?" Another asked, frowning slightly. The first girl nodded solemnly. _

_"How will we remember?" A third girl questioned._

_"We will make the deal in blood." The first girl remarked calmly, noting the shock on her friends' faced._

_"But...blood magic...it is very powerful..." The second girl whispered, stuttering slightly._

_"So we won't forget," the fourth girl, who hadn't spoken before then, said matter-of-factly. Looking around at her friends, she saw them all nod, somewhat hesitantly in the case of the second and third girl to speak._

_"Now let us begin," The first girl said. "You," here she pointed to the second girl to speak, "must do this. You're the only one with the Gift." _

_"Alright..." the said girl whispered. She drew her belt-knife, and sliced her left forearm from elbow to wrist, wincing at the pain. The knife was passed along to the other three, as they did the same to their left arms. Then they push their arms together, as their combined blood dripped onto the grass. "By the Great Mother Goddess****_ (A/N: is it the Great Mother Goddess, or just the Mother Goddess? I couldn't find that, either...)_," she intoned, her pale purple gift sparkling around the four girls, "let us be bound by an inseparable bond. We will return to this very spot at this very time in ten years. I, Katherine of South Mount, agree to these terms"_

_"I, Kathleen of Jirescliff, agree to these terms," the first girl to speak said, without any hesitation._

_"I, Anastasia of King's Court, agree to these terms," th_e _third girl to speak murmured slowly._

_"I, Alana of Gillham, agree to these terms," the fourth girl to speak whispered. _

_"So we have said; so it shall be," the girl casting the spell said firmly. About to end her incantation, she was stopped when a woman's voice rang out._

_"Are you sure you want to do this?" The unseen woman asked. Her voice was rich, deep, and pure. It also gave the girls the feeling that they should be bowing to this unseen woman. They kept their forearms firmly locked together, thought. One girl nodded. "Then it shall be this way. I, the Great Mother Goddess, agree to these terms. I shall let you know now, thought, that you will not be permitted to see each other at all before this date, and you will not remember a thing until necessary. So more it be." With those final words, the girls' arms flew apart; the purple fire stopped. All of their cuts were healed, leaving only a long silver scar. _

_The girls left, not even aware of each others' presences._

__

It had been ten, long, hard years for Alana of Gillham. She had trained with the Shangs for those years, one of the few nobles to do so, until she was finally initiated into the ranks of the Shang warriors, and dubbed the Shand Ermine **(A/N: How long do they train for? What do they do when they train? I just kinda made it up...umm, yeah...)**. That had been in June of this year. Now, she was one her way back to Corus, for it was the day. The day of that fateful meeting, that she hadn't remember until a week prior to this day. Then it had all come back to her...the years spent with her friends, that day under the tree, the magic they had used, and the Goddess who had appeared. So she had immediately packed her few possessions, saddled her Appaloosa gelding Leo, who was a very pretty sand colour speckled with white, and set out for Corus. 

Before she had left, her fellow Shang warrior had come to say goodbye. Her name was Myra, and though she was a commoner, her and Alana were the best of friends. Myra had just been dubbed the Shang Otter the week before, and was also heading out into the world. She ran over her words in her head again.... 

_"So...this is good bye then..." A weakly smiling Myra entered Alana's tent, where she had lived for the last_ _ten years. Myra was a girl of medium height and muscular build, with tanned skin and short, dark hair. Her eyes were an icy blue, though, and her nose straight and proud, giving her a very regal appearance. She had once told Alana that her mother was of Carthaki origin, which would explain her skin and hair colour. _

_"Yeah...I guess so," Alana replied, thinking to herself_ 'I will not cry, I will not cry...'_. Myra looked like she was thinking the same thing, but with different results. She was crying openly when she threw herself at Alana, hugging her fiercely, and almost knocking the smaller girl over. Finally, Myra pulled back, and handed her something._

_"We might not see each other for a while...so I got you this to remember me by," she said weakly, sniffing loudly. Alana snorted, thinking that she would never forget her boisterous, cheerful friend, who was surprisingly a mean fighter._ _Chuckling, Myra smiled at her friend one last time, then left the tent. Finally opening her hand to see what the girl had given her, it revealed a beautiful necklace, with a silver charm on it in the shape of an ermine, complete with glittering ruby eyes._ **(A/N: Doncha just love flashbacks? Muahah...)**

Alana fingered the necklace nervously now, as she topped a hill, and found herself looking down on the sprawling city Corus. _I'm just on time,_ she thought, smiling wryly. It seemed that _someone _had gone out of their (_her, _she corrected herself mentally)way to make sure it was that way. Shaking her head, she began to make her way down to the city she hadn't seen for ten years. **(A/N: No, she didn't go back to Corus at all during her training. So hah.)**

Kathleen of Jirescliff was riding into the city at that time, at the head to the Ninth Rider Group, nicknamed Brokefang's Pack after the occurrences at Fief Dunlath fourteen years earlier **(A/N: It was the Ninth Group, 'Ogre's Bane' or something like that, that was destroyed by that mage guy in Wolfspeaker, or at least I'm pretty sure. So I renamed the new and improved Ninth Group, mmkay?)**. In her time as a rider, she had gone from an new trainee who knew very little about fighting to the commander of a Rider's Group. She was also very skilled in almost all weapons, especially the long sword. For her eighteenth birthday, which was actually just under two weeks ago, her parents had given her a beautiful long sword, that was the perfect length and weight for her. She had dubbed it 'Opal', and now carried it everywhere she went. Although she had yet to try it out on someone, she was sure that it would do its job perfectly. 

"Commander?" one of her companions, a young man her age named Jael, asked, poking her slightly. "Are we going to be staying in the palace, or at some wayside inn that will no doubt beimmoral, contemptible, vulgar, obscene, indecent, off-colour, unch-" 

"No!" Kathleen interrupted him quickly. Jael had a...'flare' for words, and he could recite synonyms for hours. He quite often did, too, if not stopped early enough. "I have to go do...something. You can stay at the Rider Barracks at the palace." She saw his eyebrows go up when she said 'something', and he looked like he was about to open his mouth to say something again. So she quickly went on, saying, "It has to do with...some friends of mine, that I haven't seen in a while." 

"Oh, really?" Jael remarked, drawing out the word 'really' for longer than was necessary. 

"Yes, really," Kathleen replied testily, holding the word 'really' for as long as he had. "Now go! You're in command until I get back." Seeing her friend's eyes lite up, she added, in a whisper only they could hear, 'If you do ANYTHING stupid, I will make you regret the day you were born." 

"Fair enough," he replied, shrugging. Then, raising his voice so he could be heard by all ten members of the Ninth Group, he said, "Right, ladies and gentlemen, our divine commander Kathleen must leave us for a time, so I shall be escorting you children to the Barracks, to make sure that you don't do anything foolish, senseless, rash, or overall stupid." Kathleen rolled her eyes, and watched the group ride off. She could have, in theory, accompanied them, as she needed to be at the Palace Forest in about fifteen minutes, but she needed some time by herself. That, and she didn't want Jael following her. She had met Jael on her first day as a Rider, and they had bonded very quickly. She liked his overall optimism, and cheerful outlook on everything, and he respected her outgoing nature. He also was able to think fast in a tight situation, and he had gotten her out of several tight situations. He was her best friend...or maybe one of them, depending on what went on today at noon. 

Kicking her grey mare Dusty forward, she began her ride to an event that would changed her life. 

Anastasia of King's Court rode through the Palace Forest on her brown mare, who was aptly named Hazel. She was going to that tree. She hadn't been there in ten years either, and she had just remembered about everything that had happened there ten years ago when she woke up today. Now, at quarter to noon, she was going to that spot. 

Anastasia had returned to Corus when she was fifteen, after she had been asked to join the Queen's Ladies. Since then , she had been traveling across Tortall with the other Ladies, and occasionally Queen Thayet herself. She was trained in weapons, of course, and a bit in hand-to-hand combat. She was also schooled in everything that a court lady should need to know, from how to address Dukes to all the popular dances. However, her favourite weapon was the longbow. She had been using a bow since she was about ten, and, on her sixteenth birthday, all of her fellow Ladies had bought her a beautifully made bow. It was slung across her back now, along with a quiver full of arrows. It was about five feet long (any longer, and she would be tripping over it whenever she tried to shoot it), and made of maple. The handle fit perfectly in her hand; the bow the right toughness for her strength. 

Hazel snorted, feeling her friend drifting into a fantasy filled with longbows. She stopped, and looked back at Anastasia. Seeing her still daydreaming, the horse bit her on the leg. 

"Ow! Now why did you do that?" The girl exclaimed, snapping out of her dream and rubbing her leg where Hazel had bit her. 

_'You were daydreaming. Fuzzy thinking isn't good for anyone,'_ the horse replied, starting to trot forward again. 

"You know, sometimes I curse this 'Wild Magic' thing," Anastasia muttered. **(A/N: She can just talk to animals, not shapeshift, command them, or talk to Immortals. It's just a minor Wild Magic thing)** "Being able to talk to animals just gives them a chance to make fun of me." Hazel flicked an ear at the girl, ignoring her. "Yes, I mean you, you evil, evil Hurrok of a horse!" she went on, poking the mare in the side. Hazel looked back at the girl for a couple seconds, then proceeded to dump her onto the dirt path. 

_'Now that wasn't very nice, was it?'_ the horse said, waiting for Anastasia to get up. When she had, the girl made an obscene gesture at her. 

"Well, you know what? You are going to DIE!" she screamed, lunging for the horse. Hazel wasn't stupid or slow though, and she jumped back, taking off down the path at a full gallop. Anastasia rolled her eyes, and went charging after her ornery little horse, laughing. 

Katherine of South Mount awoke in her rooms. She was happy to sleep in, after having to get up at dawn for eight long years. But after her Ordeal at the end of June, she was made a true knight, and was given her own rooms in knights' wing of the palace. Getting out of her bed slowly, being careful not to disturb her cat Naomi. Katherine had gotten Naomi from her friend Troy on her eighteenth birthday in June, and she had bonded quickly with the little tabby cat. The cat woke up anyway, and proceeded to stretch, while watching Katherine curiously. The girl began a series of exercises, and then picked up her large, two-handed sword, and did some practices with it. After about an hour of warming-up, she then dresses in a simple shirt and breeches, both light and comfortable. Pulling on her boots, she couldn't help shake the feeling that she was supposed to do something today... 

Her eyes opened wide, as a string of curses escaped her lips. The tree, the bond, the magic, the DAY! It was today! At noon. Glancing out her window, she saw that it was almost noon. She quickly pulled on a green tunic, and fastened her sword to her back, and her belt, with a dagger and her wallet on it, to her waist. Flinging open her door, she almost ran into Troy, as he stood, with a plate full of food in his hand, about to knock on her door. 

"Whoa...in a rush, are we?" he asked, raising one eyebrow curiously. 

"Actually, yes," Katherine said, trying to get past her friend, but with no avail. "I need to go meet someone NOW!" Troy shoved the plate he was carrying into her hands. 

"You're gonna have to eat first." He told her. The girl glared at him, and then proceeded to shove a piece of bread into her mouth. "More than that," he continued. "Skipping breakfast is very unhealthy. She rolled her eyes. For all that he was her best friend, Troy was a touch over-protective. Giving up on eating, she set the plate down on the desk in her room, then pushed by her friend, and dashed down the hall. Naomi ran after her, leaving a very startled Troy standing outside of her room. 

They ran outside to the stables, where Katherine led her large black horse King out of his stall, and mounted him bareback. Naomi looked at the horse, then looked at the girl on the horse. 

"I'm sorry, but I don't think you can come...I'm in a bit of a rush, Nai," she said to her cat. The cat sniffed, and proceeded to lick a paw. "Why don't you go find Troy, and make sure he doesn't come after me, okay?" The cat trotted out of the stables, and Katherine could only hope that she was doing what she had requested. Shrugging, she gripped onto King's mane, and held on tight with her knees as she spurred the horse onward with a kick of her heels. Setting off into the Palace Forest, Katherine continued to mutter curses under her breath, about Goddesses not giving people warning... 

**So??? What did you think? I'm trying to keep everyone in character (cuz they're based off of some friends of mine), and it's pretty damn hard. I also did lots of research for this. I spent ages pouring over Tammy's books, looking for obscure little references. This is when my fairly photographic memory becomes very handy. Also, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to you brave people out there in Internet Land who have made timelines for the books! You are my HEROES! **

**So this lovely little fanfiction takes place after all the books, and after Trickster's Choice. The current year, just FYI, is 465, so they cast the blood magic in 455, which would be when Kel becomes a fourth year page. Alana goes off to become a Shang immediately, while Kathering starts her training as a Page the year after Kel leaves, in 457. Kathleen and Anastasia head off to the Queen's Ladies and Riders in the beautiful year of 461. So the current year (465, remember?), would be when Thayet and Alanna are (I think...)45. Jon is 49, Kel is 24, I believe, Daine is 29, and Numair is 43. I think I got that all right...**

**So that's just some background information. Now click that button (you know you wanna...), and REVIEW!**


	2. Under the Tree

**Well, I have been writing like crazy. This is the most I've written in a _long_ time. Not much happens in this chapter, but it's pretty necessary. Bonding and such. Kinda funny...well, I thought it was. No one else has read it yet, so I can just hope.**

**So, once again, I don't own Tortall. I own all the characters I mentioned before, except I forgot about the Shang Wolf. However slight that character is, I still own him...or her. Something like that.**

Anastasia sat under the tree..._that_ tree. Waiting. It was almost noon. Her palms had began to sweat, and she was getting some butterflies in her stomach. _'What if they've changed?'_ she asked herself silently. _'Maybe they won't like me...maybe I won't like them...'_ Hazel snorted from her position not far away, where she was grazing on some lush grass that was still very green for so late in the year. Glaring at her friend, the girl leaned back against the tree, and let the noises of the woods surround her...she started to breath slower and deeper. Then she began to hear the voices of the People. They were all talking...birds were gabbing to each other, squirrels fighting over nuts, trying to get fatter for the winter. She let the sounds of nature fill her head, and she began to relax. She was ready for this day... 

Alana rode into the clearing. It was beautiful, and still like she remembered it. _'Except smaller,'_ she thought wryly. Slipping off of Leo, she let the horse go graze. He walked over to a patch of lush grass, near another horse...her mind caught up with her eyes. Another horse? And it was saddled and everything, and bore the insignia of the Queen's Ladies on it, a brown bow in front of a golden crown, with a tan backgroud, and the whole thing was surrounded by a ring made of green-coloured chains **(A/N: Has Tammy mentioned a insignia for the Queen's Ladies? If so, lemme know...'cuz I just made this one up now)**. Something wasn't right here, but something assured her that nothing was out of the ordinary. Walking over to the tree, she sat underneath its wide branches, slightly aware of the presence to her right. She closed her eyes, and began to clear her thoughts. Sitting comfortably, she slipped into a meditation, preparing herself for the upcoming event... 

Kathleen went into that same clearing a few minutes later. She dismounted gracefully, and led Dusty over to a patch of grass, that was being clipped down by two horses at the moment. Frowning at them, the brown Appaloosa with plain gear, and the tan mare outfitted in the colours of the Queen's Ladies, she dismissed the thought that something was amiss. Everything was alright. Glancing around the clearing, she noticed that there was a stream running about ten feet away from the tree that hadn't been there ten years ago. Walking over to it, she scooped up some water from it, and splashed it on her face. She gasping slightly at the icy touch of the water (_It was September after all,_ she reminder herself idly), but welcomed the refreshing coolness. She suddenly felt very alive, and well rested. Sitting on the grass, with the tree in front of her, she realized that she had the feeling that there was someone here...almost as if they were sitting to her right and straight ahead of her. Sighing, she leaned back on the soft grass, and closed her eyes. As she drifted into a nap, she smiled. The day had come, and she was prepared... 

Galloping into the clearing, Katherine half fell off of her horse. She wobbled slightly as she stood up, but was steady in a second. King trotted over to join three other horses who were already grazing. They were beautiful horses too; an Appaloosa, a tan mare, who's saddle had the symbol for the Queen's Ladies on it, and a grey horse, which seemed to belong to one of the Queen's Riders. The Rider insignia, a red horse rearing on a bronze field, circled by a crimson ring in this case, was on the saddle and bridle. Nervously running her hands through her hair, she dismissed the presence of the horses, and was draw towards a spot near the tree. Sitting down, she felt someone on her left, her right, and in front of her. Starting to whistle a light tune, she leaned back on her hands, and got comfortable. She was ready for noon... 

A bell tolled three times. It was noon. All four girls sat up, and became very wide awake. 

Anastasia looked around suddenly. There were three people there! She should have been very startled...but she had this deep conviction that they had been there for a long time. She saw the same expression on the other girls' faces. Then one of them spoke; the one who was seated across from her. 

"We must finish the rite." The girl to Anastasia's right nodded **(A/N: Why do they have to finish the rite? I don't know...I don't do much blood magic.)**. She held out her left forearm, and rolled up her sleeve, to reveal a long, silver scar. The other two girls did the same, revealing similar scars. Anastasia followed suit. Then they pressed them tightly together. Purple fire streamed out of one girl's fingers, and they all began to recite words that came into their head at that moment... 

"By the Great Mother Goddess, we have returned. It is the determined time. It is the determined place. We have fulfilled the bond. So mote it be!" Their arms flew apart once again, just like they had ten years ago, and the fire disappeared. Anastasia smiled at her friends. They were all back together. 

Anyone who walked in on the clearing now would see four girls sitting in a circle underneath a tree, all holding hands. They didn't seem to need to use words, after ten years of being apart. 

The girl who sat closest to the tree, close enough to lean back on it, was called Anastasia of King's Court, but more often Asha or Ana. She was an average height, with a very muscular build. Her hair was long and dark brown, her skin tanned, with eyes that were currently grey, but could change to anything from green to brown. Her hair was braided at the back of her neck, with two curly locks left out to frame her face. She wore a cream shirt with loose, elbow-length sleeves, and a large collar. Over top of it, she wore a knee-length, soft blue tunic. She had leather wrist guards on, that stopped just below her fingers, not covering them. She had a belt across her shoulder, to which was attached her bow and quiver, and one at her waist, which supported a dagger, short sword, and a slim purse. She wore cream hose to match her shirt, and brown boots which reached to her mid-calf. On the right side of the tunic was a silver crown with a brown bow overtop of it on a tan background, all surrounded by a green circle of linked chains; the symbol of one of the Queen's Ladies. What wasn't visible was her Wild Magic, which allowed her to converse with all mortal animals. 

To her left sat a short, slim girl with hazel eyes and long, straight, blonde hair. Her name was Alana of Gillham, also known as the Shang Ermine. Her hair reached to just below her shoulders, and she wore it down. She was dressed in a sleeveless, brown tunic, made of leather, than fitted her perfectly, and was done up as the front with a two leather thongs that ran the length of the garment. It reached just below her belt, and revealed muscular arms. On her belt she wore a purse and two long, slim dirks. She wore bracers on either wrist, to which were attached a scabbard and small throwing dagger; one on each bracer. She wore tight, leather breeches, the same colour as her top, which flared out at her knee, and ended a couple of inches after that. Black boots reached to her knee, and a dagger in a scabbard was fixed to either side of the boot. Two daggers were also strapped to her thighs, on black leather ties. There were also many other daggers hidden about her person, all of which were razor sharp and deadly. Although the Shangs were traditionally trained in hand-to-hand combat, she liked to have daggers 'just in case'. Around her neck was a necklace, with a silver charm hanging on it shaped like an ermine, with red ruby eyes. She had no magic, but she looked and meant business. 

Kathleen of Jirescliff sat across from the tree. She wore her dirty blonde hair in a high horsetail, with two strands of hair at her forehead tucked behind either ear. Her face was sprinkled with freckles, and her eyes were a pure azure blue. She wore a greeny-brown tunic, which reached to just above her knees. Her shirt was white, and the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Her collar was high, and casually open. On her belt around her waist rested her long sword Opal, along with a dagger and wallet. She had a similar belt around her shoulder, with a short bow and quiver on it. She wore dark brown riding gloves, which doubled as tough leather gauntlets. The Rider insignia on the left side of her tunic was of a crimson horse rearing on a bronze field, surrounded by a crimson ring. This marked her as a Group Leader. She was very tall, with an average but muscular build. She had a smile on her face, and looked like she could handle anything. 

The last of the group was Katherine of South Mount, who was more often called Katie, or occasionally Kate. Her hair was also dirty blonde, with light streaks from the sun, and her eyes also blue. But they were a darker blue, with a hint of grey. Her skin was dotted with freckles, especially on her face. Her hair was cut to below her chin, but above her shoulders, and it curled away from her face, then curled back, and again under her chin. This was caused by her habit of running her hands through her hair, and pushing it back from her face, while it dried. She wore a white shirt, that reached to her elbows, but with much smaller sleeves than the ones worn by Asha. Her tunic was green, and reached to mid-thigh, with a short tie at the neck. At her waist was a slim belt, from which hung a dagger and wallet. On a belt across her shoulder rested not a box or quiver, but a huge, two-handed sword, about four feet long, and four inches wide. She occasionally used a long sword and shield, but she preferred to use her two-handed sword, and to keep her shield on her back. She was also tall, but not quite as tall as Kathleen, and slim. She was the third Lady Knight of the realm, after Alanna of Olau and Pirate's Swoop and Keladry of Mindelan. 

Kathleen was the first to speak, breaking the ten minute silence. "We should go get lunch-I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving!" Alana chuckled, seeing that Kathleen was still very open and expressive of her thoughts. 

"Where are we gonna go to eat?" Katie asked. "We all have different positions, so...yeah," she finished lamely. 

"I don't really care, but I am hungry, now that Kathleen mentioned it..." Alana remarked. 

"How about the page's mess hall?" suggested Asha. "It's casual and pretty close." 

"Whatever, let's just go!" Kathleen exclaimed, jumping to her feet, and getting her horse. The other three followed suit, and they were soon headed off down the dirt path back to the palace. Katie and Kathleen rode at the front, closely followed by Alana and Asha. They walked, as they wanted more time to catch up with each other. 

"So what have you been doing all these years?" Kathleen asked the tall girl riding next to her. "And why are you riding bareback? And did you know that you have a very large sword on your back?" 

"I do?" Katie asked in mock surprise, twisting around too look at the sword. "You know what, I think you're right! I don't know why I never noticed that before...thanks for the update, Lady Obvious." **(A/N: I found out that it really pisses my friend off when I call him Captain Obvious. So I adapted it for Tortallan purposes.)**

"That's _Commander_ Obvious to you," Kathleen growled, seeing that her friend's sarcasm still hadn't gone away in ten years. 

"Yeah, you're a commander in the Riders now, aren't you..." The slim girl remarked, looking at the crest on her friend's tunic. 

"Yeah, commander of the Ninth Group, Brokefang's Pack." 

"Pretty important job, if you ask me...I'm guessing you're the commander type then, aren't you?" 

"Well, that's what people tell me. I _do_ try my best. What about you?" 

"I take pride in being the third lady knight in Tortall." 

"So I guess that makes you pretty important, eh?" 

"Well, I _do_ try my best..." 

"You have a very bad habit of being annoying, did you know?" 

"Ahh, Commander Obvious returns to tell us all _what's right in front of us!_" 

"Don't make me hurt you." 

"Threats now, eh?" 

"Yes. So why are you riding bareback?" 

"Eh..." Katie's face went slightly red. "Well, I slept in...and I didn't want to be _late_ or anything, and...yeah." 

"Seriously?" Katie nodded, which made Kathleen burst out into gales of laughter. "You...slept...in!" She doubled over in her saddle, laughing so hard she started to cry. "I see you haven't changed much," she remarked when she had calmed down. Then she took a look at her friend's angry face, and burst out laughing again. At curious looks from Asha and Alana, Katie simply scowled. 

"Just don't ask," she told them. 

"Anyway," Asha continued, returning to her conversation with Alana, "it almost killed me, having to wait until I was fifteen to join the Queen's Ladies. I had been training by myself until then, but it's just not the same..." 

"I see what you mean, though I never had to wait to start my training," Alana said. 

"Oh, yeah, that's right! What was the Shang training like, anyway?" the brunette asked curiously. The Shangs tended to lead a somewhat secretive life, and Asha was eager to hear about how they trained. 

"Hard...and very damn long. I was up at dawn each morning, and went to bed whenever it was too dark to see." 

"Wouldn't it be easier in the winter then? Because there's less daylight?" At this comment Alana laughed long and hard. She finally stopped when Asha glared at her. 

"No! You must be kidding me! Might I remind you that we live in tents all year round? They were always coming up with new ways to make us train in the snow." 

"Ahh...I see." 

"How was your training?" 

"Very...diverse. We got schooled in weapons and etiquette. A lot. Mind you, I now know how to address pretty much everyone at court." 

"Really? How would you address a Shang?" 

"Carefully. And I'd make sure I wouldn't piss them off." Alana grinned at this comment. "So what Shang are you?" 

"The Shang Ermine." 

"Really? Wow...does your hair turn white in the wintertime?" 

"Ha, ha, ha," Alana remarked sarcastically. "I was given my name because of my grace, speed, and slightly...deceptive nature, when it comes to telling the truth, that it..." 

"Maybe the Shang Weasel would have suited you better..." 

"Hey! You're not addressing me right. Don't forget that I could take you on, and _win_, any day." 

"Alright, alright. _Testy_!" Asha drew out the last word for a long time. Alana then punched her in the arm. "Ow!" 

"That's what I thought." 

"Well, I guess that an ermine is slightly more respectable than a weasel..." 

"And more elegant, refined, pretty, intelligent, speedy, agile, and all around _better_." 

"Are you discriminating against weasels?" 

"_What?!"_ Alana looked like she was going to say more, but they had left the Royal Forest, and they were heading towards the stables. "Where should I put my horse?" She asked, changing the subject quickly. 

"You can just use the palace ones," Katie called back. That's where King here stays." She patted her horse's neck, and he whinnied happily. 

"Me too," Asha added, steering her horse towards the specified building. Alana nodded, and followed them. She had only been to the Palace a few times, and that was a _long_ time ago. 

"Kathleen, why don't you just stable your horse here? It would save you the trouble of going all the way over the the Rider Barracks," Katie suggested, looking at the girl. 

"Fine with me," the tall girl replied. They entered the stables, and almost all of the horses went to the front of their stalls, ears perked forward, to greet Asha. Smiling, she nodded at them all as she went by, but didn't go up to greet any. 

"That's right...you have Wild Magic, eh?" Alana remarked looking a little warily at all the horses. Asha grinned and nodded,. 

"They all see to like me so much...I feel so special," the girl replied. 

"Well, lucky for you, I'm at pretty much the very end, so you can say hi to all of your little friends along the way," Katie commented dryly. Hazel fixed her with one large, brown eyes, and snorted. "Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean any offense..." she muttered, frowning at the mare. "Oh, here's King's stall." They stopped at a stall near the end of the building, and at the end of all the horses. "You guys can take an empty one somewhere down there; it doesn't matter where." She pointed at some empty stall near hers. The four girls all hung up their gear, with the exception of Katie, and gave their horses a good rub-down. Katie apologized to King for riding him bareback, and promised him she'd try not to make a habit of it. With their horses taken care of, the four girls made their way to the page's mess hall to eat. 

****

****

**So what did you think? Should I continue? Damn right. You don't have a say in that. I seriously need some synonyms for 'stable', as in stabling a horse. Feel free to offer any. And I just realized that it's not the Palace Forest, it's the Royal Forest...whoops. So it's not gonna be correct for the first chapter, but from now on, it will be.**

**Some replies to the three reviews I have gotten in the space of about...I dunno, whenever I uploaded the first chapter. I've got the memory of a goldfish.**

**blackflyer: Wow, what a long review...thank's for the input about the Shangs and I realize the Ordeal thing. If Katie had her Ordeal at midwinter, she would have to wait until the upcoming one, and I wanted it to be out of the way when I started writing...so she had it in June. Kapish everybody?**

**Camilla2: Really? When they're four? ****Huh...well, Alana started when she was eight...umm, yeah, lol...**

**Tpfan333: Well, then Alana started late. Whatever, she's a Shang now, lol. And Onua has Wild Magic, but I'm pretty sure she can't shapeshift.**

**So what are you waiting for? REVIEW!**


	3. Lunch

**Hello! Finally, Chapter 3! It would have been up earlier, but I was camping last weekend, and I came back to find both of my computers broken. Not fun. So I got a bit of a writers block at the end, but I pulled through! Now READ!**

**By the way, Alana, Kathleen, Asha, and Katie (and Meghan, sorry) are all based of my friends...and I'm one of them too. A cookie if you can guess which is me. You don't get one if you already know me.**

**Oh, yeah...I don't own Tortall, or Prince Liam, or Lalasa, or Lord Padraig. I'm pretty sure I own everyone else.**

The reunited friends tried to enter the mess hall inconspicuously, but the sight of four 'warrior women' wasn't exactly a common one for the pages and squires. Kathleen scowled a little, but didn't say anything to try to stop the whispered comments and open stares. Grabbing trays, and loading them with food, they sat at a table that had 'magically' cleared as they approached it. The stares continued, however, as the sat, waiting for the training master Lord Padraig ha Minch to arrive **(A/N: Does the training master come at lunch? Eh, he does now)**. Asha tried to discourage them by glaring at any who made eye contact, while Katie simply looked at them and smiled, while slowly crossing her eyes. Alana absently tried to balance a spoon on her nose. 

Finally, Lord Padraig arrived, and recited the prayer. 

"Let Mithros guide our steps towards a bright future." **(A/N: I'm not a religious person, so I came up with the prayer out of thin air)**

"So mote it be," the assembled pages, squires, few odd knight, and Shang, Rider, and Lady chanted, before digging into their meal. Today, they had a chicken soup, with a salad and fruit, along with the bread, juice, and water already on the tables. Katie was about to take her first sip of soup, when someone suddenly slammed their tray down next to her, causing her to inhale it, literally. **(A/N: hah, bad pun)**

"Where did _you_ go in such a hurry this morning that you couldn't even eat breakfast?" Troy asked her from his seat to the girl's right. Katie coughed and choked in reply. 

Once she had regained the ability to breath, she replied, "Out in the Royal Forest." When her friend raised her eyebrows, she sighed gustily, and went on, "I was meeting some friends." Troy looked around the table. He was startled to see three girls looking at him that he hadn't noticed before, all with curious expressions on their faces. Reddening slightly, he tried to save his pride. 

"I'm sorry, but your mere divine presence, my dear ladies, blinded me for a second, and-" 

"Ahh, buttering us up, are we?" Asha cut in, trying to conceal a grin. "Well, we 'goddesses' are used to such treatment. You'll just _have_ to do better than that." Katie chuckled, noticing Troy go a deeper red. "So, anyway, who's your friend?" Asha added, looking at the young man. He was muscular, but not very bulky, and close to six feet tall. His hair was dark brown, and chin length, and was always hanging in his face. His eyes were almost honey coloured. 

"Oh, yes, where _did_ my manners go?" Katie replied sarcastically. "May I introduce my Sir Troy of Highcastle, the boy who I had the pleasure of spending the last eight years with." 

"Boy?" He protested. "I'm two years older than you!" 

"Really? I wonder if I've heard that before...oh, wait, could it be the last hundred times you've rubbed that fact in my face?" The blonde knight drawled. "Anyway, these are my good friends Kathleen of Jirescliff, Alana of Gillham, and Anastasia of King's Court, who is better known as Asha." She pointed out each of them in turn, and Troy nodded in greeting. 

"Just out of curiosity, why haven't I seen you with your friends before?" the young man asked. "I mean, I've seen Asha and Kathleen around the palace, and I've heard of the Shang Ermine, but I've never seen you ladies all together." The girls exchanged a look. Sighing, Alana looked at Troy. 

"I'll volunteer to do this then," she said. "Alright...ten years ago, we were all moving away from each other (we've been friends since we were about two), so we made a blood bond, so we would remember to meet again in ten years. For some reason, the Goddess took an interest in us, and she said we wouldn't be able to see each other until that day. So, ten years later, here we are." Troy looked speculative at first, but as he looked at four serious faces, he shrugged. 

"I guess I'll take your word for it," he said, and dug into his soup. "Eat," he pointed at Katie's tray with his spoon. "You didn't have breakfast, and you need the energy." The girl rolled her eyes, as her friends snickered. 

"As long at you don't try to make me choke this time," she retorted, but started to eat anyway. 

"Are you always nagging her like this?" Asha asked curiously, shredding a piece of bread into her soup. 

"Well, she can't always take care of herself, you know, being so young," Troy replied seriously. "Especially with eating right. She _seems_ to have a thing against vegetables..." 

"Rabbit food," Katie muttered, while her friends laughed. 

"Hey, Kate, who're your friends?" Another boy asked, quickly sitting down next to Kathleen, and across from Troy. He had short, messy, blonde hair, and dark blue eyes. He was about Katie's height, maybe a bit taller, very muscular, and somewhat stocky. 

"Dan, meet everyone. Everyone, meet Dan," Katie said shortly around a mouthful of soup. 

"Why, I never knew everyone was _so_ beautiful," Dan remarked, taking Kathleen's hand and kissing it, grinning broadly. 

"What, you too?" She remarked, snatching her hand away, and causing Troy to chuckle. "Why, Katie, are all of your friends so..." 

"Handsome?" Troy supplied. 

Irresistible?" Added the other man. 

"Full of crap?" Suggested Alana. 

"That was the phrase I was looking for," Kathleen continued, wiping her soup bowl with a piece of bread. 

"Ouch, that hurt," Dan said, placing a hand dramatically over his heart. 

"Good," Katie commented dryly, stabbing her salad viciously with her fork, "you've gotten too confident lately about your effect on women." 

"My dear, beautiful, _divine_ Katie, I have _no_ idea what you're talking about." 

"See?" 

"Your problem is your lack of vocabulary," Alana put in, swirling her juice in her cup. "Words like 'beautiful' and 'divine' only go so far, before you start to repeat yourself." 

"Ahh, well, I'll keep that in mind...uhh..." Dan stopped, realizing her didn't know her name. 

"I'm Alana, and this is Asha and Kathleen," she told him, pointing to each in turn. 

"Hey Dan...how's it going?" A man standing at the head of the table, by Alana and Asha, said, grinning. He was short, no taller than Asha, with slightly tanned skin, dark brown eyes, and black hair that flipped back from his forehead. He had a small wiry build, and his eyes were very bright. Dan turned red, and tried to slink down on the bench. The man grinned, and settled down between Katie and Troy. 

"So what brings you here, Geoff?" Troy asked conversationally, finishing up his salad. 

"I was looking for _him_, actually," Geoff replied, pointing to Dan, who was trying to make himself invisible. 

"Oh really...what did he do?" Katie asked curiously. Dan coughed nervously. 

"Perhaps we could talk about this another time..." He said, giving Geoff a Look. This made the small knight laugh. 

"Afraid to talk about it in front of the ladies, are we?" 

"No, I just think that we should settle this later. Can't you see I'm in the middle of a _very_ interesting conversation with...Alana here?" 

"You almost forgot her name!" 

"Temporary memory lapse. Happens all the time." 

"Sure it does." 

"If you children are finished arguing, I left one of my books in your room, Katie," another man said, sitting next to Dan. The blonde knight rolled her eyes. 

"Which one, Milo, because I think I have a whole library of your books by now," she replied. The man sighed gustily. He was very taller, topping Troy by a couple of inches, with light brown hair that would have been shoulder length, except it was tied back in a short horsetail. His eyes were a twinkling hazel, set in a strong face that was liberally sprinkled with freckles. He had broad shoulders, but was slim yet well muscled, and moved like a cat. 

"The one about the Immortals War, remember? You were using it to prove me wrong when I said there were only three squads of centaurs on our side." **(A/N: pulled a fact out of thin air there)**

"Hah! I told you I was right," Geoff murmured, elbowing Troy, who ignored him. 

"So who are these lovely ladies?" Milo asked, looking at Alana, Kathleen, and Asha, and smiling. Alana rolled her eyes. "What? Was it something I said?" 

"Milo, meet Kathleen, the one with the big grin on her face, Asha, with the monster of a bow on her back, and Alana...who is glaring at me for not pointing out something about her," Katie answered. "They've been sweet-talked by these three already, so the whole thing's getting kind of old now." 

"Speaking of which, Dan, _you_ owe me one gold noble," Geoff said, grinning from ear to ear. 

"What did he do?" Katie asked, somewhat annoyed this time. 

"I bet him that he would get turned down if he came over and started flirting with these ladies." 

"You used my friends to win money?" 

"Yeah..." 

"I should get some then, for bringing them here." 

"Fair enough. I'll buy you a new scouring cloth...you've needed one for a while, right?" 

"Yeah...but I'd prefer a new belt-knife." 

"Nice try. You'll be lucky if I have enough to get you the cloth anyway." **(A/N: another fact out of thin air...how much _do_ scouring cloths cost?)**

"Shouldn't you be paying him?" Katie pointed out to Dan, who grumbled a bit, but tossed a gold noble to Geoff eventually. 

"Is this normal for you guys?" Asha asked curiously. Her, Kathleen, and Alana had been watching the conversation with interested looks on their faces. 

"What, betting on each other?" 

"Yeah." 

"Yep. It makes our life more interesting." 

"What about arguing like five-year olds?" Kathleen joked, smiling. 

"Well, I don't know about me, but these _men_, or so they call themselves..." Katie stopped, grinning, and was punched by Geoff. 

"Asha! Why didn't you _tell_ me you wouldn't be back by lunch? I thought we were supposed to go out into town!" A young woman exclaimed, rushing up to their table, to stand by Asha. She was short and slim, with tan skin and freckles. Her shiny, dark brown hair was in a horsetail, and she wore an outfit similar to Asha's, complete with the Queen's Ladies insignia. She carried no weapons, though, except for a small knife on her belt. A look of horror appeared on Asha's face. 

"Mithros, Meg, I'm so sorry! I forgot...ouch!" Asha said quickly, not quite dodging the punch from her friend. "You didn't need to punch me!" 

"Yes I did. So who's all your friends?" 

"Sheesh..." The brunette muttered. Then she raised her voice. "Meg, this is Kathleen, Dan, Milo, Troy, Geoff, Katie, and Alana. Everyone I just said, this is Meghan, or Meg." 

"Impressive," Milo murmured to Dan, "she remembered all of our names." 

"So I hate to take Asha away from you, but we have to shop for a dress for the upcoming ball...plus, I need a new bowstring, and some of my arrows need new fletching...are you coming or not, Anni, dear?" Asha sighed, but then looked at her friends with a somewhat evil glint in her eyes. 

"Oh, the ball, yes...for Prince Liam's wedding, hmm **(A/N: who's the lucky lady? Stay tuned to find out)**? Alana...do you have a dress yet?" Alana shook her head slowly, wondering what Asha was up to. "Katie and Kathleen...you don't either, do you? Well, we're going to have to fix that...oh, I know! You could come with me and Megan! You wouldn't mind, would you Meg?" the girl shook her head. "Alright then. It's settled. You can stop by your rooms to drop of your weapons and such, but then we're going to have to get going." Dan guffawed, and Geoff snorted. They knew how hard it was for Katie to shop, and how it took her ages to find something that she liked, and that she got bored with it very easily. Glaring at them, Katie was then struck by an idea. 

"Oh, Dan, Geoff...you have to go too, don't you?" She started, seeing a horrified look appear on their faces. "Well, you can come with us _too_! It'll be fun!" They glared at her. "Oh, you're coming too, Troy and Milo." She added. 

"Oh, I've already got something to wear," Milo said quickly, and almost smugly. Katie glared at him, but he pretended not to see her. 

"Really? What?" She asked. 

"Well, you remember that red doublet I wore to the midwinter ball?" 

"What, the one that was full of holes, and barely fit you?" 

"Yeah, that one." 

"Nice try. You're coming." 

"You know, I _am_ bigger than you. You can't really make me come." 

"I have a sword." 

"Well, if you're going to get like that, then I guess I'm going to _have_ to go." 

"Now that this is settled, can we go? We need to hurry!" Meg said impatiently, motioning for them all to get out of the mess hall. The group walked out of the hall, almost all unhappy about these arrangements except for Meg, Kathleen, and Alana. It was Meg's idea to go shopping in the first place, and she liked shopping, especially when she got to tell Asha what she should and shouldn't wear. Alana hadn't been to Corus in ten years, and she wanted to get out to see the town. Kathleen was indifferent about shopping, but loved the city. 

"Alright...Katie, and your little knight friends, you have to go this way, right?" Meg asked her, and she nodded in reply. "Go down there, get rid of that monster of a sword, and we'll meet at the palace gates once you're ready. We aren't taking horses, and if you even _think_ about sneaking off, I will personally hunt you down. Now hurry." Katie went off down the hall, followed by Milo, Dan, Troy, and Geoff, muttering to herself about something. "Kathleen, why don't you go to your rooms in the barracks, and get rid of your weapons. Why doesn't Alana go with you, because I don't think she has a place to stay, right?" Alana and Kathleen were looking at her, dumbfounded. "I'd recognize a Rider badge anywhere, and do you think that I haven't heard of the Shang Ermine?" Flapping her hands at them, she added, "Come on! Go! Asha, you're coming with me." 

Half an hour later, Meg was leading a group of mostly unhappy people along the street of Corus, towards Lalasa the dressmaker's shop. Asha and Kathleen were arguing about whether ponies or horses were better in war, which was interesting, considering both of them owned a horse. Kathleen's friend Jael tagged along behind her, slightly annoyed that Kathleen had decided that he needed something to wear for the ball too. Alana and Geoff were discussing weaponry, and Geoff found it strange that the girl only used daggers, never swords, bows, or other weapons. Katie, Milo, and Troy were cracking jokes about how long it would take Dan to get shot down at the ball. Dan was trailing along at the back of the group somewhat dejectedly. 

"Alright...everyone in here, please," Meg called out, going into a small shop, pulling Asha in with her. The others followed sullenly. "Now ladies, find something you like. Gentlemen...well, it's probably best if you just stay out of the way." Alana and Katie walked over to look at some purple fabric, while Kathleen searched for something red, and Meg dragged Asha to a book full of dress designs. Troy, Milo, and Dan stood in a corner, while Geoff and Jael started talking. 

With some help from Lalasa, the girls finally picked out fabrics and patterns they liked. They went into the back room to get their measurements, paid Lalasa, and went out of the shop. The men followed them quickly. 

"Well?" Dan asked Katie, walking beside her. "What's yours look like?" 

"Let me think...no," she replied. 

"What?" 

"You'll just have to wait." 

"_Fine_, be that way." Dan jogged forward to walk with Kathleen, but she wouldn't say anything either. He then decided to talk to Troy, at the back of the group. 

The next stop was the tailors. The men went through pretty much the same as what the girls went through before, but some of them needed a lot of convincing from the tailor and Meghan to wear something other than a tunic and breeches. Finally, they were taken to get measurements, then they paid, and left, also refusing to say anything about what they would wear. 

"Now that our torture is over with, can we go back to the Palace?" Asha asked Meg. 

"Torture? This is a very important part of any lady's life," the shorter girl replied. 

"Oh, well, I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm fighting bandits...ow! Why'd you punch me?" 

"You were being sarcastic." 

"So?" 

"It's very rude." Asha rolled her eyes, and sighed. She managed to dodge the punch this time. "But yes, you can go now." 

"It's about time," Katie murmured to Alana, who snorted. 

"Hey...I bet that I can make it to the palace first," Dan commented, grinning. 

"You're on!" Katie was surprised to hear Alana say that. Dan looked surprised too, then shrugged. 

"Alright...first one to the stables, alright?" Alana nodded in agreement. "Loser owes five silver nobles." 

"Ready..." Geoff said, "and...GO!" Alana and Dan shot off down the street, dodging people, both neck and neck. The others strolled down the street at a much slower pace, chatting and joking. Jael seemed to be getting along well with them all, and his cheerful outlook on life was appreciated by all. 

A few minutes later, the group reached the palace stables, where they found a panting Dan and Alana. 

"Well?" Milo asked, looking at them curiously. 

"Well what?" Dan replied. 

"What do you _think_?" 

"Oh...she beat me, by about ten feet, too." Alana was congratulated by all, and given her money by Dan. When he asked what her secret was, she smiled. 

"Short people have less wind resistance, of course," was the reply. 

After a discussion, it was decided that Asha and Meghan would return to their quarters, near the Queen's, and eat with the other Ladies. Kathleen would go to the Rider Barracks, with Jael and Alana, who would stay their for the night. Katie, Dan, Milo, Troy, and Geoff would eat in the page's mess hall, and return to their own rooms for the night. Kathleen didn't see why they had to split up, but Alana pointed out that 'a good night's sleep would do them all good'. Kathleen laughed at this, but the four girls agreed to meet the next day, to get some more 'catching up time'. So they all separated, and said their goodnights. 

"Well?" Katie asked, as she sat in the mess hall at supper that night, a the same table she had during lunch. Her friends looked at her, confused. "What do you think of them?" 

"Oh...well, Alana can run _really_ fast," Dan replied, shaking his head. "I lost five silver nobles!" 

"You should learn not to make stupid bets," Troy told him, grinning. 

"I didn't think it was stupid at the time," the stocky knight retorted. "I _am_ the fastest runner out of all of us." 

"Yeah, well, that's not saying much," Katie murmured to Geoff. "You've seen how we run." The short man chuckled. 

"So am I going to get my book back sometime today?" Milo asked, looking at Katie. 

"Oh, yeah...forgot about that," she commented. "Well, I'm done. Let's go." 

"I'll come too," Troy said, standing up, his tray in his hands. "Want to get in some jousting practice before bed?" 

"You're on!" The blonde girl said, putting her tray on a stack already left by the pages and squires. She then lead the way out of the mess hall, chatting with Milo and Troy. 

"So your friends seem nice," Meghan commented, sitting in Asha's room, playing chess with her friend. 

"Yeah...it seems kinda weird to come back, after ten years..." the brunette replied, taking one of Meg's pawns. 

"It seems like you haven't been apart for that long, you know." Meg moved a knight forward. 

"That's the weird part. But it's great to have them back." 

"Of course. Checkmate." 

"What?" Asha exclaimed, looking at the board suddenly. "Damn it, you're right...you always seem to win against me!" 

"The trick is to get you talking," Meg replied, her eyes twinkling. 

"Gee, thanks," the other girl commented sarcastically. "OW!" 

"What did I say about sarcasm?" 

"Sorry...you didn't need to punch me though!" 

"...says _you_." 

"Whatever. Want to go shoot some targets?" 

"Sure...will you be using that monster of yours?" 

"Of course! Why?" 

"Well, you seem to make a habit of shooting _through_ the targets with it." 

"Sorry...it's not my fault its made of ironwood." **(A/N: yes, I said maple before. But I changed my mind, after talking to my dad about bows. I now know much more about them.)**

"Okay...let's just go." The two girls left the room, smiling. 

"So, Alana, what do you think of the Rider Barracks?" Kathleen asked, putting a saddle on her horse. 

"Very nice," the Shang replied, mounting her gelding. "You seem to be a...popular commander." 

"Well, what can I say? They love me!" Alana stifled a laugh at this comment. At dinner, one of the riders in the Ninth Group, a pretty girl named Jenna, had enchanted Kathleen's bread, so that when she ate it, she couldn't stop sneezing for five minutes strait. Kathleen still had yet to find out it was Jenna who had done it, though. 

"That's right," Alana said, nudging Leo into a trot. 

"So...looking forward to the ball?" Kathleen asked, riding next to her friend. 

"Well, yes and no. I'm looking forward to being back to Corus, and seeing the court again...but I'm not a huge fan of public ceremonies. 

"Hmm...I know what you mean. I have a _brilliant_ idea of how to make it more interesting, though." 

"Uh oh..." 

"Very funny. Now, this is the plan. A couple of month ago, at another ball, Jael undid the ties on my shoe, and I feel down the stairs, into the ballroom." Alana winced; that was a _long_ fall. "So, to get back at him, I'm planning to set him up with someone. That someone can be you." Alana raised an eyebrow. "Not permanently or anything. So I want you to lead him outside sometime during the ball, and talk to him by the fountain. Then I need you to somehow get him to fall in." 

"Why me?" 

"Because if I did it, he'd suspect something for sure." 

"...but this is part of your little fight with him." 

"Oh, you can just tell him afterwards that it was my idea. He won't hold a grudge against you, don't worry." 

"I'm still not convinced..." 

"I'll pay you five gold nobles." 

"So, when should I lead him outside?" Kathleen grinned. Revenge was going to be sweet. 

**And there it is. Chapter Three. Yay! So I need to reply to some people...**

**Mage-Magic17: Yup, I _do_ have a reason for Alana now, but you're gonna have to wait 'till later to find it out.**

**Pheep: My goodness, you rock! What an amazing review!**

**Jowa: Well, they've been gone for ten years, but since they didn't even know the others existed during that time, it's like they haven't been apart. Does that make sense? So that's why they're so sarcastic...plus, they're sarcastic people.**

**seastar222: Well, that's good...they sound a lot like mine...probably because Alana, Asha, Kathleen, and Katie are based off my friends...and me. Oh, and Meg.**

**Clai-a-net: Hopefully fighting. I want to write a fight scene.**

**Opaque: Thanks about the Onua thing. I got that info from some website...lol, I lost Wild Magic.**

**RiverNeverCeasing: I shall try to keep it going. Though I'll need to think of a plot first...**

**Mage-Magic17: Hi...again, lol. As for some clues...well, fighting. Mysteries. Romance. A plot will be coming up to...I hope.**

**miamouse: Hi! Well, thanks, and I did put you in. And you did beat up Anna-Loo-Loo a bit. Muahah.**

**miamouse: You again, lol. Thanks, it must be good, coming from you.**

**Anastasia of King's Court: Thanks, I'll see what I can do about the handsome guy.**

**So review! Please! And I'll try to get the next chapter up soon!**


	4. Don't Make me get Shang on your Ass

**What's this? I updated this story? My god!**

**Please try not to have a heart attack, I know I haven't updated in about six months. I just lost all interest in this story...and school started, which cut my leisure time down considerably. I had the first few pages of this sitting around on my computer for ages, and I forced myself to finish it.I don't know how much more I will continue this story...but, well, here you go!**

**I don't own Tortall, and all related places, I just own my original characters.**

Katie woke up suddenly to find that there was someone pounding on her door. Groaning, she rolled over, and tried to ignore it. Maybe this was just all a bad dream...

"Katie! I know you're awake in there. Now get up and open this door now...or will there be a repeat of that incident a few months ago?" The blonde woman thought some very bad words at Troy. Why did he insist on waking her up at the crack of dawn every morning? Sitting up, and blinking at the light streaming through her open window (she always slept with it open, so Naomi could come and go as she pleased), she yawned.

"Why are you waking me up so early?" She asked Troy, stumbling over to her dresser and removing a tunic, shirt, breeches, and a breast band.

"Early? It's almost ten!" Her friend called back.

"Exactly," was the slightly muffled reply from Katie, her nightgown halfway off her head.

"So are you going to open the door for me this time?"

"Yeah...it took me ages to get the splinters off the floor last time. I don't want to go through _that_ again. Just let me get dressed..." The lady knight pulled on her tunic, over her shirt, breeches, and undergarments, and buckled her belt to her waist. She then walked over to the door, unlocked it, and yanked it open, much to the surprise of Troy, who was leaning against it. Katie stepped to the side to let her friend stumble into the room (he didn't fall, unfortunately), and the closed the door after him.

"Thanks for the warning," the man said, flopping down on her couch.

"No problem," Katie replied as she sat on her bed, and began to pull her boots on. "So what is so god damn important that you needed to wake me up?"

"I missed you," Troy replied, trying not to grin at her somewhat ruffled appearance. Katie's hair was...well, it was all over the place. Her tunic was crooked (he was surprised that she hadn't put it on backwards), and her eyes bleary.

"You're funny," she replied. Catching him looking at her, she frowned. "What? Do I have something on my face or something?"

"...you could say that." Sighing, Katie went to stand in front of a small mirror on her wall, that rested at the level of her face.

"Oh my...I should probably brush my hair or something, eh?" She remarked, blushing at her reflection.

"Yeah...or _something_." Katie walked into her adjoining privy, looking for a comb and horsetail to tie her hair back with. "I would suggest washing your face too," Troy added. Katie rolled her eyes. "And don't roll your eyes at me, _young_ lady."

"You've known me for too long," the blonde knight commented, washing her face with water that was _very_ cold. She ignored the remark about her age. Pulling her hair back, and tying it out of her face, she returned to her bedroom. "How do I look?" she asked, twirling in front of Troy.

"Drop-dead gorgeous," the man replied, grinning. "Now can we go?"

"No. You still haven't told me why you had to wake me up."

"I haven't?"

"No, you haven't,"

"Oh...well, Alana and Kathleen were looking for you."

"What, not Asha too?"

"Nah, she's not up yet...or at least she _wasn't_. She probably is now- your two friends went to get her. They said for you to meet them at the training courts outside for some weapons practise."

"What weapons did they want me to bring?" Katie asked, grabbing her sword from a weapons rack on her wall, and belting it on her back.

"All of them. Kathleen said you'd be there almost all day." His friend groaned, which made Troy grin. "What? Don't think you can handle it?"

"Ha, ha, ha," she replied sarcastically. "No, it's just I wanted to have a chance to relax today."

"Oh well. You'll live. Now I need to get my stuff...I'll meet you down with the others, okay?" Katie nodded in agreement, and her friend left the room. Sighing, she began to take down her weapons one by one, and attach them to herself. Her quiver went on her belt in place of a long sword, with her short bow (she preferred a strong, short bow to a long one)on the other side. She put on leather wrist guards, which covered the top of her lower arm and part of her hands, and were held on by leather straps. Her shield was hung above her fireplace. It had a distaff border around the outside (two rings, the outer blue, the inner cream), which was the mark of a lady knight. On the inside was the symbol of her family (a light blue-grey mountain)with a large, two-handed sword similar to her own running down the middle, all on a green background. She lifted it down, and slipped it onto her left arm. With her other hand, she took a mean looking halberd from the weapon rack. Looking around, she checked for anything she might have forgotten, and then, convinced that she hadn't, Katie left her room. Locking the door behind her, she then started down the hall towards the practise courts, clanking slightly, and whistling absently.

When she reached the outdoor practise courts, Katie found a stretching Alana, a grinning Kathleen, and a wet Asha. Frowning at the latter girl, she trotted over to her.

"Hey...may I ask why you're all wet, Asha?" The knight asked, leaning her halberd against a nearby fence.

"No, you way not," was the sharp reply.

"Wow...aren't _we_ in a bad mood this morning," Katie remarked, raising an eyebrow. "What happened?" Asha ignored her.

"Well," Kathleen started, smirking at the brunette next to her, "Asha decided that she didn't want to get up with us. So Alana picked the lock to her door, and we grabbed her full bathtub and dumped it on her." Katie blinked. She looked at Asha, who was scowling. Then she snorted, and started to laugh.

"You _really_ should have been there," Alana said, coming over to the three girls, a smile on her face. "It's surprising how fast someone can move when they're soaking wet."

"And cold," Kathleen added. Katie grinned, now under control of her emotions.

"That's it," Asha said irritably. "Can any of you shoot a bow half-decently?"

"I _do_ try my best," Katie drawled, giving Kathleen a sidelong glance, who ignored her. Katie shook her shield off her arm, and placed it next to her halberd. Her sword and sword belt followed. She took her bow off of her belt, and strung it deftly. Pulling on the bowstring, she smiled at the 'twang' noise it made. "Well, I'm ready."

"Good. Anyone else?" Asha asked, taking her bow off of her back. She put one end in the ground, and pulled a bowstring from her belt. She strung it, grunting slightly at the effort, and walked to where the archery targets stood. Katie followed, along with Alana, who carried a recurve bow, and Kathleen, with a longbow that was similar to Asha's, but slimmer.

Asha began their little competition. She put an arrow to her bow, and pulled it back slowly.

"Showoff," Alana muttered, making Kathleen snicker. Asha ignored them. She swung her bow up, and fired. She fired again, and again, and again, her hand a blur as it pulled back the bowstring. When she had finished, there were six arrows, all buried into the centre of the target. Her three friends started at Asha in an awed silence.

"What?" the brunette asked irritably. Alana shook her head, and ran down to where the target stood. They could see her try to tug the arrows out, but to no avail.

"The whole arrowhead is in the target," she reported when she had come back. Asha grinned.

"At least they didn't go through this time," she remarked cheerfully. "Now is anyone else going to shoot now?" Katie nodded, and stepped up to where Asha had been before. Her bow looked tiny compared to Asha's, but it fired the arrows straight, and with considerable force. She couldn't get any in the exact centre (because Asha's arrows were taking up all the room), but she came fairly close. Kathleen and Alana went after, both making impressive shots, but none as good as Asha's had been.

After about half an hour of archery practise, they declared Asha the winner, and went to retrieve their arrows. Asha had to cut hers out, while the others just had to tug at theirs.

"Now for swords," Kathleen announced, leading the way into some of the indoor practise courts. Once inside, she drew her sword, making a few lazy passes in the air with it. "You are so going down, Asha!"

"We'll just see about that," the girl shot back, drawing a long sword of her own. Alana and Katie stood on the sidelines while the two girls warmed up. Once they were ready, they bowed to each other, and then the fight began.

Kathleen began by lunging at Asha, but the brunette parried the blow easily, and then countered with a strike of her own. They backed up, and circled each other for a moment, until Kathleen found an opening. She shot forward, her sword aiming for Asha's stomach, but the other girl turned to the side, and tried to land a blow on the commander's back as the momentum of her strike carried her on. But Kathleen was no novice, and she twisted away from the blow, catching it on her sword.

It continued like this for a while, both girls exchanging blows, and neither seeming to gain an advantage, until both were sweat-soaked. Then their blades crashed in midair, locking together hilt to hilt. They fought to press the blades away from themselves, but Kathleen began to feel the swords approaching her. Asha grinned, thinking she had her friend beaten. Kathleen grinned back though, and shot to the side, slipping her sword away from Asha's, and causing the brunette to lurch forward unsteadily. Kathleen swept her feet out from under her, and although Asha was quick to roll over, she found the taller girl's blade at her throat.

"I yield," she panted, dropping her blade. Kathleen smiled, and helped her friend to her feet. Katie and Alana were there then, offering them water and towels, and helping them off to the side. The two flopped on the ground, both exhausted.

"Now it's your turn," Kathleen said, pointing at Katie and Alana. "Entertain us." Katie smiled, and her and Alana went to the middle of the practise courts. They began to stretch, working out their muscles. Katie then drew her two handed sword, and Alana produced two blades of medium length; not quite long swords, but not short swords either.

"This should be interesting," Asha remarked, noting the difference in weaponry along with the six-inch gap between the two's heads. The girls bowed to each other, and then they began.

Katie delivered a chopping downward strike to Alana, that the small girl parried with crossed blades. She slipped away from the blade, and snapped out one sword towards Katie's side. The girl had her own long sword angled down to protect it though, and she turned to better face her opponent. Alana slashed at her friend's stomach with her swords, but the tall girl jumped back, and then delivered her own slicing blow, aiming for the girl's shoulder. Alana ducked, and kicked out a foot, trying to knock Katie from her feet. The girl jumped over her feet, and quickly reversed her strike so that it aimed downwards. Alana rolled to the side, and sprang up, directing both her blades in a downwards strike towards Katie's side. The blonde girl turned, though, and stopped the blades. Alana continued to press downwards, though, in the hopes of unbalancing Katie due to the lack of support on the end of her long blade, though.

Alana was wrong, though, and Katie brought her left hand from the hilt of her sword to the end, grasping onto the blade to steady it. Alana noticed that there was a metal plate on the palm of her leather wrist guards, to stop the sword from digging into her hand. Katie's muscles flexed, and she pushed Alana backwards. The shorter girl went with the movement, and had her feet up, catching Katie in the stomach as she fell towards her, and sending her flying forwards. The tall girl rolled as she fell, whirled to see two swords resting at her throat.

"Very good," Katie complimented Alana, letting the tip of her sword rest on the floor. Alana smirked at her, and sheathed her swords. Asha and Kathleen applauded the pair, and were quick to offer them water.

The four practised until lunchtime. They begged some food from the kitchens at noon, and went to eat at the Tree. They ate in silence there, simply enjoying each others company.

"Who's up for a swim?" Asha asked once they were done eating. Not waiting for an answer, she stripped her clothes off, tossing them near her horse, and dove smoothly into the clear river. She surfaced with a gasp, and a happy smile.

"You've got to be kidding me," Alana protested, though Kathleen and Katie were beginning to undress themselves. Kathleen leapt into the water with a yell, splashing them all with water. Alana jumped at the feel of the cold water. "It's _freezing_!"

"Don't make me have to throw you in," Katie threatened from where she was wading into the river. Alana sighed, and also undressed. She dipped a toe tentatively into the water, and recoiled. Katie scowled at her, though, so the small girl took a deep breath, and leapt in.

"Mithros, I was right," she announced when she had surfaced. "It _is _freezing."

"Then get moving," Kathleen said, while doing lazy backstrokes. Alana gave her an incredulous look. Then she yelped as she was pushed underwater by Asha.

"Don't make me get Shang on your ass!" she spluttered when she surfaced again, but Asha was out in the middle of the river by then, and laughing. Alana growled, and started after her friend.

A few hours later, at sunset, they were all back at the palace, shivering and wet, but happy.

"Well," Katie said, yawning, "I am exhausted. I must leave you now, to try to get to my room before Troy tries to shove some supper down my throat. I bid you good night." With a wave, she started off towards the Palace.

"I'd better go to," Asha said, following Katie to the palace. "'Night!"

"And then there were two," Alana remarked dramatically, making Kathleen snort.

"Let's go," Kathleen said, tugging Alana in the direction of the Rider barracks. "I don't know about you, but I am starving. If we hurry, we can get supper before it goes cold." And then they were gone too, leaving only a shadowy figure that no one had noticed. They were leaning against a tree, near invisible in the shadows. Chuckling, the figure left stealthily.

**What's this? A plot! Why, I think it is! It may be just a bad attempt to end a chapter though...shifty eyes**

**Yup, so I know it's shorter than my other ones. It's the best I could do now, though.**

**Now some replies...**

**PurpleSocks: Well, they're teenage males, most of whom spend all day working with other males. I blame hormones ;)**

**Camilla2: Different equals good, right? And ironwood is, I believe, a very hard wood. Go figure, eh?**

**Gwennifer: Meg will like shopping for clothes if I tell her to! twitches Erm, seriously, though, she mostly enjoys it because it tortures Asha. Which is extremely entertaining.**

**PsychoLioness: Yes, I got rid of the author's notes.Heck, they bug me when I re-read this story. And I think I mentioned my reason for why they're so easy with each other...for ten years, they didn't know that the others existed, so it would be like no time had passed. I am also basing this on how the four of us react in real life. Although we get together maybe once a year, it's like no time has passed. I hope that made sense...**

**TinGods: Sorry, still working on the hot guy.**

**Lizai: Please keep reading...if there will be any more after this to read.**

**Alana: Ahh, you compliment me much...and, well, I'm sure that when you are eighteen, you will be able to raise an eyebrow. Get working on it, eh?**

**Callisto Greene: Thankies much...yes, the names can be confusing. Normally, I try not to use names that are so similar in a story, but my friends might object if I changed their names.**

**Sorry if I missed anyone!**

**So I will try to update, but I really can't promise anything. This story might very well be dead. **


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